


Parting of the ways

by MatrixCube



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 22:06:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatrixCube/pseuds/MatrixCube
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are two realities ahead of John. And he has to choose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parting of the ways

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StuftZombie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StuftZombie/gifts).



> Many thanks to my beta Emma!
> 
> This is my gift for StuftZombie.  
> I am so sorry this is late!

On the one hand there was light.

Light flooded his apartment, enlightened every corner and lit up Anna's hazel eyes. It played with her soft hair and huddled against the curve of her neck. John could've watched the play forever, but when Anna moved in her sleep, the spell was disturbed, but not broken.

He wasn't a romantic, not really. Anna was okay with that, she'd told him once while eating at their favourite sushi bar, because she preferred the smell of coffee in the morning over rosepetals on her bed anyway. Both of them were pretty easy, no over the top expectations in regards to their relationship and John considered him a lucky guy.

Rustling sheets didn't wake Anna up, so John slipped out of bed and walked barefoot into the kitchen. He liked the cold tiles against his warm, bare feet and the smell of him-and-Anna around him. Mornings like these were calming his mind and giving him an illusion of normality.

Normality in times like this, where crime was lurking in every shadow and police were not prepared. John wasn't a fool for thinking he could make the world a better place; he did his job to protect the ones he loved. His gaze fell on Anna's sleeping face again. She kept him going through hard times and held him in times where he couldn't help a victim.

He was getting sentimental again. John programmed the coffee machine and threw their leftovers from yesterday's take-out in the trash. Sundays were always like this: slow, silent and... boring. John loved the excitement and thrill he got from his job, when his partner and he were hunting down outlaws, adrenaline pulsing through his veins. This is what he lived for and tranquil days like these were so... foreign.

„Honey?“, a sleepy voice asked out into the silent air.

John made his way back into the bedroom, crawling into his cold sheets next to his girlfriend. „Morning“, he smiled.

 

One the other hand there was consuming darkness.

Darkness encircled his life, impermeable blackness stealing his senses and leaving him numb. Total void consumed John, licking every inch of his skin.

„You woke me up. It was you.You were that person for me, John.“

Blue light guided his path in a world where everything was shady. Where nothingness was haunting him.

The morning was like any other with a fully charged synthetic leg and being on time so Dorian wouldn't bitch about his tardiness. No room for rest or an easy life with increasing crime and an annoying partner who happens to be a bot. With a synthetic and developing soul. John never comprehended it fully, but he didn't bother with details.

On his missions and between them, when he tried to slow down, there was this feeling of... movement in the darkness. He couldn't put his finger on it, it moved in the dark, restless and on the hunt. So there wasn't the option of slowing down.

Besides taking down criminals, John tried to deal with his betrayal, which cut deep in his shattered soul. Anna and the Syndicate were words he chased after, mere words, no concrete shapes in the darkness. Always guided by a faint blue light. It was familiar to him, so John trusted it.

Daily routine became waking from nightmares, waking to a missing leg, too much olive oil, discussions with his partner Dorian, trying to find a topic to talk about with Valerie, bickering with Dorian, keeping up with Paul, enduring Dorian's tics, briefing with Maldonado, struggling with Dorian's hugging and wondering about Rudy's work.

John got up with a huff and got dressed. He no longer paid attention to his wardrobe or his looks or his flat. Within half an hour he arrived at HQ and passed the Confirmation Controlcentre which recognized him as John Reginald Kennex. The receptionist wished him a nice day, but John didn't reciprocate. His gaze flickered to the watch on the wall. Well, at least he was on time. Dorian wasn't.

Minutes ticked by and John became bugged. His mind was in ranting mood when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

„Hey John“, a familiar voice greeted him.

John growled. „You're late. Maldonado wanted us to meet her 10 minutes ago.“

 

If John had to choose – 

Choose between these two realities, these opposites –

„Come on, Dorian, let's go.“


End file.
